Marked

Chapter 5

The next few days passed in a blur. The day before Kian was supposed to return, Roe found herself in a familiar spot at the bar, listening to Suzina preen about her latest encounter with a new lover. Suzina was lucky that her father had no intent of marrying her off, as she would have had a long line of eligible suitors. Instead, she spent her free time cavorting with men and women alike, an ever rotating roster of lovers that made Roe's head spin. Suzina had a rare kind of beauty; her features were proportioned unconventionally, with large round eyes a bit farther apart than most. Her face was heartshaped with a large forehead framed with thick brows. Today, her copper locks were tied behind her head in a hasty ponytail, with pieces of hair framing her forehead and face, gently brushing her cheeks. Roe had been listening halfheartedly, her mind in other places.

"Are you okay?" Suzina asked suddenly, jerking Roe from her thoughts.

"I'm fine." She waved a hand flippantly in front of her face in a gesture that was supposed to be reassuring, but dismissive. "Just a lot on my mind."

Suzina raised an eyebrow and teased, "Oh? Don't tell me you've been holding out on me."

"What?" Roe's eyebrows scrunched together as she took another sip of ale.

"You're seeing someone, aren't you?"

Roe nearly choked, but held her composure as she swallowed.

"No. I mean I did meet someone, but it's not like that."

Suzina grabbed a tankard of ale from a man slouching over the bar, and filled it without taking her eyes off of Roe. The bubbles flitted to the surface eagerly, gathering at the top of the glass like the seafoam on the tops of waves. She passed it back to the man, who stumbled towards a table near the back.

"Tell me everything." She leaned forward on her elbows, searching Roe's eyes for clues.

Roe couldn't afford to tell her anything. The secret had been heavy on her shoulders, and she could feel its weight digging into her very soul, leaving lasting marks that she wasn't sure would heal.

"There's nothing really to tell," she said adversely, trying to imply that she was done with this line of questioning.

Suzina was relentless sometimes. She pressed on with, "There has to be something– you're not yourself today."

"It's really nothing," She insisted, and then sheepishly admitted, "I may or may not have taken something from someone, and he tracked me down to get it back. I'm just kicking myself for being sloppy, that's all."

Suzina knew a little bit about how Roe made a living, but she never fully disclosed that it was her only source of income. Suzina had understood as someone who wasn't always wealthy— her father's bar was in dire straits before she had taken over the bookkeeping and labor counts. From what Roe understood, the bar had been hemorrhaging money for almost the entirety of her childhood. Suzina had been one of the lucky ones to receive some schooling, and had taken what she had learned to help her father's business turn over a new leaf.

Suzina feigned shock as she replied with, "So there are consequences to your actions."

Roe rolled her eyes and grinned. "Yeah, I guess you could say that."

Suzina stood, grabbing a wet rag to wipe down the countertop, clutching empty tankards with her other hand and dumping them into a tub behind her for washing.

Keeping her attention on Roe, she asked, "Well, what happened? How did he find you?"

"I don't know. He showed up at my door, I gave him back what I stole and he left. That's all there really is to tell."

She took a quick swig of the ale to cover up the burning feeling of guilt as she lied to her only friend, the hops stinging her throat as she swallowed.

Suzina looked at her with a sudden softness in her eyes as she said gently, "You know you could just work here. We have hours to spare."

She had offered in the past, but Roe knew that the wages wouldn't be enough to support her living arrangements, and that she made more through her current profession.

She shook her head. "I know. It's just not the right time."

"It's never going to be the right time, Roe." Suzina was soft, but firm with her words.

Roe sighed heavily, her mouth twitching. It was far too late for her to take the job now.

Suzina continued quietly with, "What you're doing is dangerous. You're lucky that he didn't hurt you, and now he knows where you live. What happens when you're not so lucky the next time?"

Roe couldn't help but feel a touch irritated, although she knew her friend was coming from a good place. She had never been caught before and didn't plan on making a habit of it.

"I can't right now, but I appreciate the offer." Roe said, finality in her voice. "I better get going. It's getting late."

She gave her friend a small smile, which was graciously returned. Apprehension and concern were apparent in her gaze; Suzina was never very good at hiding what she felt. Roe downed the rest of her ale, then rose from the bar with a stretch.

She arrived back at her apartment some time later, only to find Kian already inside. He was a day early. He stood from the singular chair, fury and something else rolling off of him in waves. Was it fear? He brushed past her, and shut the door behind her, demanding, "Were you followed?"

Roe fired back with, "In case you've forgotten, this is not your apartment. You need to stop showing up whenever you please–"

"Were. You. Followed." He ground out, cutting her off.

"Gods, no. As far as I know, no." Exasperated, she stalked past him to take a seat on the bed, bending over to take off her shoes.

Kian peeked out of the shutters, looking for some invisible threat. He didn't speak.

"Why are you here, Kian?" She tried to keep the irritation from her voice but was not successful.

After a moment, he replied in a low voice, "Someone burned down the library. There's nothing left."

The shock registered across her face. She was quiet for a moment before saying, "And you think someone heard us?"

"They had to have. It's too coincidental that this happened days after we made a plan." He started pacing the small space, wringing his hands together.

Roe sat silently for a moment, as the shock turned to dread, as she began to understand what this implied. Not everyone thought the Prince dead– this was evident from the many conversations she had heard in taverns across the city. What if they followed him to her apartment?

Kian spoke suddenly, breaking her out of her thoughts.

"We need to go. This location is compromised."

"Now wait a second," Roe argued, "This is my home. I'm not leaving."

Frustration took hold on his face as Kian said, "You do not understand. That library had texts in it that were older than the kingdom itself, texts that were sacred to us."

Roe pressed on with, "I understand that, but I can't just leave." This was her home, her safe space, with all of the things she had gathered in her life. It wasn't much, but it was all she had.

Kian's face was harsh as he said, "Whoever burned down the library was trying to send us a message, Roe. They don't want us to find the other half of the amulet. Think about it– why burn down an entire library just for one book?"

The confusion must have been apparent on her face, because he answered his own question quietly with, "Everyone who was inside is dead. They were willing to kill innocent Fae to tell us to stop looking."

The dread in the pit of her stomach was like an anchor amongst churning waves, threatening to carry her out to sea. She almost felt sick as the illusion of safety she had constructed in her home was shattered, bile rising in her throat. Someone was following Kian, and now her too. A part of her was angry at how he had so carelessly thrown a wrench into her otherwise peaceful life. But, an even smaller part of her knew it was really her own fault.

As much as it pained her to admit, Kian was right. It was no longer safe here. If someone was indeed following them, they could be back at any moment. With that thought, Roe stood from her spot on the bed and retrieved a small bag from her dresser, packing a few changes of clothes, some baubles that she had collected and treasured as a child, and her bathing items. She moved about the apartment in silence, packing the bag as full as it would allow before moving towards the door.

"Where do we go now?" She asked him, looking over her shoulder at the only place she'd ever been able to call her own. Fear, pain, dread, and anxiety coursed through her as she tried to accept that she may never see her home again, would never sleep in her bed, would never eat another meal at the tiny table.

As they shut the door behind them and scaled the building, Kian began to guide them northward, towards the upper districts. 

"Follow me. I know of a place where we can hide out. We'll come up with a plan once we arrive." 

And with that, he began to sprint across the rooftop with Roe right on his tail.